Beyond the Veil
by Shadowghost5
Summary: Harry Potter had everything that most people would envy after the War: fortune, fame, and adulation. But when a Voldemort from a different dimension threatens the entire multiverse, it's up to Unspeakable Daphne Greengrass to drag a reluctant Chosen One through time and dimensions. But things go wrong right from the start when end up in a world with a 'girl-who-lives' instead.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Harry Potter had everything that most people would envy after the War: fortune, fame, and adulation. But when a Voldemort from a different dimension threatens the entire multiverse, it's up to Unspeakable Daphne Greengrass to drag a reluctant Chosen One through time and dimensions to save their existence. But Daphne soon discovers that even the best laid plans can easily go awry. Loosely inspired by Paladeus's "Champions of Lilith" challenge (but quite different). AU elements.**

 **Author's Note: some clichés are no doubt unavoidable given the huge volume of HP fanfiction, but I'll do my best to avoid the biggest offenders. Things I'll try best to do: no bashing, no harems, no OP protagonists, no stupid/incompetent villains, no 'backwards bumbling idiot Wizarding society'. Not a canon rehash.**

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 **Chapter 1**

 _The score is still tied at 230-230 in this extremely close Championship match between the Wimbourne Wasps and the Montrose Magpies. The Wasps chasers have the Quaffle and are advancing on the Magpies. Jameson passes to Lance, and – OOH! Narrowly dodges the Bludger there, Lance passes to Bell and Bell SCORES!_

 _240-230, Wasps now. Still no sign of the Snitch. The Wasps' Seeker, national hero Harry Potter, led the league in Snitch catches this year, but the Magpies' seeker Eva Taylor was close behind at number two. The Wasps of course are the second team where both Potter and Bell are teammates; they were teammates of many years at Hogwarts on Team Gryffindor._

 _The Magpies with the Quaffle now and looking to score, but a well-placed Bludger by Button causes Smith to drop the Quaffle, and – Oh, wait a minute! Potter's diving towards the Wasp's goal hoops, has he seen the Snitch? Taylor is diving after Potter, but she's not closing the distance at all and – AND POTTER CATCHES THE GOLDEN SNITCH! AND THAT'S THE MATCH! THE WIMBOURNE WASPS ARE THE 2004 GREAT BRITAIN QUIDDITCH CUP CHAMPIONS!_

* * *

.

Katie Bell felt her face begin to hurt from the strain of keeping a forced smile on her face. They had just won the National Quidditch Cup, and instead of being able to enjoy her offseason and relax, she was forced to participate in endless amounts of PR events and 'meet and greets.' Thus, her current presence at a Ministry charity gala at the Minister's Manor where the Wimbourne Wasps were the guests of honor.

The entire team was gathered there, including all the reserves and the coaches. Well, the entire team except for the most famous Wasp of all, Harry James Potter. Katie wanted to punch the seeker for abandoning her almost immediately after they arrived. No doubt he was off flirting with some fangirl or two, while Katie was stuck talking to a bunch of boring politicians and their rich donor friends.

Oscar Jameson, the current captain of the Wasps, pulled Katie to the side and whispered to her in an annoyed tone. "Where's Potter? Minister Fawley wants a photo with the entire team."

"How should I know?" Katie asked. "I'm not his mum."

"Well you're his flatmate, and you arrived together," Jameson argued.

"He lets me stay in his Wimbourne flat during the season, but he's hardly ever there!" Katie protested. "We split up after we arrived anyways. He should be here somewhere."

Jameson sighed. "Well go look for him, and get back as quickly as possible. I want to get this over with as much as you do."

"Why do I have to go?" Katie whined.

"Because you're the only one that Potter listens to! And because I said so, and I'm the captain!"

"If I'm the only one he listens to, then I should be team captain," Katie grumbled as she stomped off to find her missing teammate.

Katie decided to ignore Jameson's command for quickness, and took her time getting a glass of red wine first at the open bar. The ballroom was decorated extravagantly, with chandeliers of bluebell fire and marble floors. Waiters dressed in fancy dress robes bustled about, carrying trays laden with champagne flutes, glasses of wine, and hors d'oeuvres. Katie idly thought back to the Hogwarts Yule Ball that took place during her fifth year, and Harry Potter's pathetic bumbling around on the dance floor during the Champion's Dance. It was oddly endearing. Ever since Harry had arrived at Hogwarts, every year had been filled with crazy and unbelievable events. Judging by the experiences of other Hogwarts alumni, her years there had definitely _not_ been the typical Hogwarts experience.

Katie absent-mindedly played with the frills of her dress robes while she sipped her wine. She didn't exactly consider herself a tomboy, but she _was_ a professional athlete. She didn't exactly have a lot of opportunities to attend fancy parties like this one. Her parents, while both magical, were firmly middle class and she did not grow up attending balls and galas. The dress robes that she was wearing, a cream-colored garment with ruffled skirts, did a decent enough job of showing off her athletic frame, but all anyone at the gala had wanted to talk to her about was Quidditch! She had even shaved her legs and put on makeup for this. All that effort to make herself look presentable seemed to have been a waste. She could have shown up in her Quidditch uniform and gotten a similar response.

With a sigh, Katie downed the rest of her wine and set off to find her teammate. Finding Harry Potter turned out to be an easy task. All she had to do was follow the high pitched giggling of brainless fangirls, and soon enough she found the ex-Boy-who-Lived draped over a pair of blond bombshells, and holding a glass of Firewhisky in hand.

She could admit he looked rather dashing in his dress robes, which resembled a muggle long-coated tuxedo with a white bowtie. His raven black hair was messy as always, but he wore it with such confidence that it almost seemed intentional. And of course, there were his piercing emerald eyes that helped him earn the dubious honor of Teen Witch Weekly's Sexiest Wizard Alive. He was definitely a late bloomer, and the years since the War had been good to him. Not that she would ever go _there_ of course. He was, after all, a rather obnoxious git these days, and Katie had plenty of self-respect. Plus, she liked her men tall. Harry had some good qualities, but height was not one of them.

"Katie!" Harry greeted his teammate with a hint of a slur in his voice. "Come join us!"

"Are you drunk already?" Katie asked disdainfully. She eyed the two women in his company. Bad bottle-blond dye jobs, immodest robes that showed too much cleavage and skin to be appropriate for such a classy event, and stiletto heels that hurt Katie's feet just by looking at them. Yup, they were Quidditch groupies, no doubt lured to the event with the potential opportunity of meeting one of the Wasps or even Harry Potter himself.

"Yes," Harry admitted, "but I'm also a very rich and exceedingly handsome gentleman, so you'll have to allow me this one vice."

Katie snorted and rolled her eyes. "If only that was your one vice, Harry Potter. How did you possibly get drunk so fast? The gala just started."

Harry shrugged. "I may have gotten a head-start before we even came. Anyways, these two lovely ladies, Carol and Amelia-"

"Carly," "Olivia," the two ladies corrected simultaneously.

"- right, Carly and Olivia have expressed an interest of a tour of my manor in Whitstable, and you should _definitely_ join us," Harry said. "Three's a crowd, but four is a guarantee of a good time!"

Carly and Olivia on the other hand, did not seem to share Harry's enthusiasm at the idea of _another_ girl joining them for the night. Judging by the dirty looks they were sending Katie's way now, it was as if they were trying to vanish her with just their minds. Katie had been a professional Quidditch player for several years now already, and was hardly going to be intimidated by a pair of groupies.

Katie sighed and simply reached out and grabbed Harry by the neck of his dress robes and started dragging him away. "Beat it ladies," she called out to the two fangirls, who were now glaring daggers at her.

"Dyke bitch!" One of the fangirls muttered quietly at their retreating figures, but not quietly enough to escape Katie's ears. She immediately stiffened and had to resist the urge to turn around and send a blasting curse at the bitch. _Honestly, just because she was a professional athlete did not mean that she was a lesbian!_

"Ooh, I love it when you get frisky," Harry murmured as he stumbled along with Katie. "So, your place or mine?"

Katie rolled her eyes, but was almost thankful for his interjection now that the tension she was carrying had evaporated. "The rest of the team is waiting for us," Katie said, ignoring Harry's statement. "And the Minister of Magic wants a photo with you."

Harry grimaced. "Fawley is a tool," he muttered under his breath.

Katie chuckled softly. "No arguments here."

The two teammates and friends made their way over to where the rest of the team was gathered, alongside several prominent Ministry employees and the Minister of Magic, Alfred Fawley.

To Harry's estimation, Fawley was a simpering buffoon of a man that reminded him too much of Cornelius Fudge. Harry had hoped that his endorsement of Kingsley Shacklebolt would have been enough for Shacklebolt to win the election, but the voting public evidently did not want a warrior and fighter in charge once the War was actually over. Thus, they elected Alfred Fawley, a pureblood from one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight family lines, and things had quickly gone back to business as usual.

Jameson scowled at Harry and Katie, but he kept his displeasure to himself and didn't scold the pair for disappearing for so long.

"Ah, Harry Potter, my boy!" Minister Fawley exclaimed once he spotted the Wasp's star Seeker. He pulled Harry in, shaking his hand furiously. "So glad you could make it!"

"Likewise," Harry grunted back without any enthusiasm. _Why do these old farts always insist on calling me 'my boy'?_ Harry thought. _I'm a fully grown man now, and I certainly am not 'theirs' in any sense of that word._ Harry idly thought back to the oft-repeated Muggle joke about how all old white politicians were boy-loving perverts. Meanwhile, photographers bustled around them as Harry smiled half-heartedly while trying his best to tune out the clacking of the camera shutters and blinding flashes.

"- so what do you think?" Fawley asked.

Harry blinked rapidly. He had completely missed whatever it was that Fawley had said to him. "Err, I'm not sure yet. You'll have to ask my agent," Harry offered, hoping that he hadn't just made an ass out of himself. Judging by the frown on the Minister's face now, however, it appeared that he might have failed in that regard.

"If you'll excuse me," Harry said, "I have to go use the lavatory."

Katie looked at him in alarm and mouthed 'don't leave me alone here' at him, but Harry bravely soldiered on and ignored her. Instead of heading to the loo though, Harry went straight to the bar and acquired another glass of firewhisky.

Harry was just about to go seek out the two fangirls that Katie had pulled him from when he felt a tingle of magic upon his senses. It was the faintest sensation, one that he doubted anyone else in the room could feel, but he was significantly more sensitive to magic than most Wizards. His eyes roamed around the room, searching for the source of the unusual magical aura. Almost immediately, his eyes landed on the waifish figure of a young woman, roughly his age, with silky raven black hair and enchanting violet eyes that were staring right at his direction. She was wearing elegant looking dress robes that resembled a modern Muggle black cocktail dress, and a pair of substantial heels that clearly accentuated her slender legs. The slender woman wasn't as curvaceous as the fangirls that he had blown off earlier, but she was infinitely more intriguing. Not only was she beautiful, but she must have been fairly powerful to exude a magical aura like that.

Harry straightened his tie, grabbed another glass of firewhisky from a waiter passing by, and made his way over. "Why hello there, gorgeous," Harry greeted the young woman with a mock bow. "Harry James Potter, at your service."

The woman merely stared back with a bemused expression on her face. "Do you not know who I am?"

"No, but I'm willing to spend a few hours tonight finding out," Harry replied lasciviously.

The woman merely snorted as she rolled her eyes. "We've met before, Potter."

"A few hours getting reacquainted then," he offered, waggling his eyebrows.

The woman stared silently for a few moments. "You've changed a lot since Hogwarts, Potter," she quietly said, completely ignoring his lewd offer.

"We were classmates at Hogwarts then?" Harry asked, his curiosity now piqued.

"You wouldn't have been caught dead flirting with a 'dirty Snake' back then," she said, extending her hand out. "Daphne Greengrass."

Harry caught her hand and bent down slightly to place a gentle kiss on the back of the hand. "I'm sure I would've made an exception for one as lovely as yourself, Miss Greengrass. But yes, I suppose I'm a much different person now than when we were in school, just as I'm sure you are."

"I imagine very few students from our class, myself included, has changed quite so much as you have," Daphne remarked.

Harry simply shrugged, feeling a bit uncomfortable with where the conversation had turned to. "Life happened."

The two stared at each other in silence for a moment. Harry cleared his throat, and decided to change the topic before Daphne could press him anymore on that subject. "I do remember you now, Miss Greengrass. You fought on our side at the Battle of Hogwarts, and if I remember correctly, the Greengrasses were one of the few Pureblood Slytherin families that didn't side with Voldemort."

Daphne's lips quirked up into a small smile. "Yes, that's mostly accurate. One of my Uncles actually took the Mark, but Father cast him out of the family after the War."

"Hmm, must have missed that trial," Harry remarked.

"I'm not surprised. You've been busy with your new occupation…" Daphne frowned almost imperceptibly for a moment before clearing her throat. "But that's not what I'm here about. I'm here on business actually, and there are some rather delicate matters that I must speak with you about."

"Of course. So, do you want to get out of here? I've a lovely view of the sea from one of my manors in Whitstable that I would love to show you."

Daphne rolled her eyes again. "Not a chance in hell, Potter. Would you meet me for lunch tomorrow at noon, at The Hippocampus House? You should be free now that your season is over, right?"

"So you wish to be wine and dined first, eh? I have a feeling that you'll be well worth it," Harry remarked.

Daphne crossed her arms over her chest and sighed in exasperation. "Has anyone ever told you that you're exceedingly obnoxious?"

"Oh sure, but most women I've met don't seem to mind it." Harry rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Most enjoy a certain amount of bravado when they meet their great hero and savior. What is your business, anyways?"

"Hmph," Daphne snorted, quickly running out of the patience necessary to deal with the celebrity. "It wouldn't be wise to speak of it here. Will you have lunch with me or not?"

"I would be honored to go on a date with you, Miss Greengrass," Harry responded cheerfully.

"It's not a date, Potter. Just remember, tomorrow at noon. Don't be late." With that said, Daphne turned around quickly, her raven hair flicking over her shoulders, and sauntered away.

Harry simply stared at her retreating figure, admiring the view until she completely left his vision. His date with Daphne tomorrow promised to be interesting at the very least. In the meantime though, he had some fangirls to find.

* * *

.

Harry blinked groggily as consciousness came back to him. His head pounded in pain from the telltale signs of a hangover. With a flick of his hand he summoned a pain relieving potion and a nausea reducing potion from his well-stocked stash. He popped open the vials and downed them one after another in a single gulp each. He felt the potions begin doing its work almost immediately, and he sighed in relief. As far as he considered, miracle hangover cures were the single best thing to come out of the Wizarding world. Without them, he would have seriously reconsidered his commitment to imbibing dangerous amounts of alcohol every day.

Harry turned his head and gazed at the warm lump next to him in bed. Carol? Or was it Amelia? Flashes of the previous night entered his mind, but what he remembered most vividly were the piercing violet eyes of Daphne Greengrass. He sighed and pushed himself out of bed, taking care not to wake his still sleeping guest. "Weren't there two of you last night?" Harry muttered quietly to himself.

Harry waved his hands again, and silently summoned a change of clothes and his wand holster to himself. After changing quickly, Harry gingerly moved over to the large balcony doors in his bedroom and stepped outside onto an expansive balcony, where the crisp sea breeze and mild ocean scent immediately assailed his sense. He breathed deeply, soaking it all in. He had a couple of properties scattered throughout Great Britain, but his seaside manor near Whitstable was his favorite. For one, the ladies that he took there always loved the view. Secondly, it was far enough removed from most Wizarding establishments that he could avoid being harassed by fans who don't respect his boundaries.

Harry sat on a lounge chair for a few minutes, just soaking up the morning sea breeze.

"Dobby!" Harry called out.

With a sharp crack, the diminutive House Elf Dobby materialized in front of Harry. "Good morning Harry Potter sir! Dobby is here!" The elf greeted cheerfully.

The little elf was dressed ridiculously, as usual, wearing a pair of mismatched socks and what looked like a Nutcracker soldier's uniform. Dobby, of course, was immensely proud of his wardrobe, which he had purchased with his own earnings. The latest Headmaster at Hogwarts after Headmistress McGonagall retired, Gilbert Abbott, had balked at the idea of paying wages to a House Elf, and Dobby was unfortunately fired. The poor elf was inconsolable at first, but Harry had found out and hired Dobby right away. He even doubled his wages (Dobby had talked him down from tripling his wages).

"Good morning Dobby. Will you see to it that my guest is fed and taken care of before you kindly usher her out?" Harry requested.

"Of course! Will Harry Potter sir be having breakfast here as well?" Dobby asked hopefully.

"Sorry Dobby, I think I'm going to go bother Katie for a bit, and I'll cook something myself." Harry smiled apologetically at his elf. "I have a lunch meeting to get to later, so I probably won't be home until supper."

With an almost silent pop, Harry twisted in a turn and apparated away from his Whitstable residence and reappeared almost instantaneously in the kitchen of his flat in Wimbourne. His flat in Wimbourne was significantly smaller than the large manor that he had just traveled from, but it was luxuriously furnished and had ample space for himself and his flatmate. Harry opened up the refrigerator, grabbed a carton of eggs and various vegetables for omelets, and began preparing breakfast after setting a pot of coffee.

Cooking for the Dursleys had been a chore, but ever since leaving Hogwarts, he had come to enjoy the activity. It was a great feeling to take a bunch of raw parts and create something amazing that exceeded its sum. Plus it never failed to impress the ladies. Picking up a knife and giving it a quick twirl, he began chopping and dicing vegetables for the omelet with speed and precision that could've only come with years of practice. Dobby of course was quite disappointed whenever Harry chose to cook, but his disappointment was considerably outweighed by his gratitude and joy of often being invited to dine with Harry at the same table.

Harry didn't bother trying to keep quiet while he bustled about in the kitchen, and the commotion soon woke his flatmate. Katie Bell stumbled out of her bedroom bleary-eyed, her short brunette hair splayed about messily, and wearing an old t-shirt and loose flannel pajama pants.

"Ooh, don't you look sexy in your nightie!" Harry teased, with a cheeky grin on his face.

"Shove it, Potter," Katie grumbled. "Where's the coffee?"

Harry pointed towards a large mug that he had already poured for her. Katie plopped herself down on a seat at the kitchen's breakfast bar and began imbibing large gulps of coffee. Harry plated the omelets, and dropped Katie's plate right in front of her. Katie wasted no time grabbing a fork and stuffing a large bite into her mouth, letting out a moan of pleasure as she began chewing.

"Hmm, now that's what I like to hear from you," Harry said.

Katie rolled her eyes at him. "In your dreams, Potter."

Harry sighed dramatically. "Frequently, my love."

"I'd kick your arse if it didn't mean I had to put down my plate."

Harry grinned and began digging into his own breakfast. "Any plans for today?" He asked.

"Another meeting today with penny-pinching Parsons," Katie spat out, with a look of annoyance on her face.

Parsons, the GM for the Wimbourne Wasps, was loved by the team owner for constructing a championship team without spending too much more money than the other teams in the league. He was considerably less appreciated by the players on his team, due to his habit to skimp on amenities for the team and his bitter and ruthless haggling during contract negotiations.

"Well, you can let your agent know that the great Harry Potter won't re-sign with the Wasps when his contract expires next season if Katie Bell is not on the team."

Katie gaped at him. "You'd do that for me?"

"Make empty rhetorical threats? Sure, why not. Not like I actually have to do anything myself."

Katie rolled her eyes and swatted Harry on the arm. "You're such a brat. I don't know why I put up with you."

"Besides the free rent, chef service, Quidditch trophies, and that I probably just doubled your next contract?"

"Yep, besides all that. It's probably because you're short and I feel sorry for you."

Harry gasped and clutched at his chest. "Ouch! You wound me, my love."

"What about you?" Katie asked. "What are doing today?"

"I have a lunch meeting in London. Do you remember Daphne Greengrass from Hogwarts? She was a year below you, in Slytherin."

"Yeah I remember her," Katie said as she tapped her chin thoughtfully. "She's like the very definition of a pureblood princess. Smart too, from what I remember. She agreed to go on a date with _you_? And here I thought she actually had taste."

"Did you say something?" Harry said idly. "I blanked out just now thinking about all the fun potions I could slip into the food that I feed you."

Katie laughed. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry."

* * *

.

Harry made his way towards Diagon Alley shortly before noon. He had showered and changed, of course, and was dressed casually in a bespoke long sleeved shirt, designer jeans, and desert boots. He almost never wore Wizard robes anymore in his day to day life, and was actually credited by Teen Witch Weekly for starting the 'Muggle fashion trend' amongst the young wizards and witches of Wizarding England. In truth, he had not intended to make a fashion statement at all. He simply wanted to be able to transition to and from the Muggle world at any time.

The Hippocampus House was one of the newer establishments there, having sprung up in Diagon Alley after the sudden numerous availabilities after the War. Many businesses there had either been destroyed by the fighting, or lost their owners due to Voldemort's insane purges. Harry strolled inside the restaurant and looked around. The first floor of the restaurant was the main dining room, and was already filled with diners enjoying their lunches. A set of stairs near the hostess station led upwards.

"Oh my," the young hostess blushed prettily upon seeing Harry enter the restaurant. "Mr. Harry Potter!"

Harry smiled warmly at the hostess. "Yes, I believe there should be a reservation under Greengrass."

"Yes, your guest is here already. Please follow me."

The hostess led Harry past the main dining room and up a flight of stairs to the second floor, where there were numerous private rooms. She stopped Harry in front of one, and after a quick glance around, pulled out a small notepad.

"I hate to trouble you," she said quietly, "but would you mind giving me an autograph?"

Harry ignored the tug of annoyance he felt, and smiled graciously. "Of course, anything for a fan."

After signing the autograph, Harry stepped inside and quickly scanned the room with his eyes. It was simply decorated, but still managed to exude a sense of understated elegance. There was no other furniture besides a small table with chair, where Daphne was already sitting. A couple of watercolor paintings hung on the walls, and a fireplace with a small jar of floo powder on the mantle was centered on the opposite wall.

Daphne was sitting down already with a glass of white wine – half empty already – in front of her. Instead of Wizards robes, she was dressed in a muggle outfit that consisted of a white silken blouse, knee length skirt, and dark stockings. She was wearing sensible flats instead of heels today, but Harry still thought her legs were quite shapely.

"You look absolutely lovely, Miss Greengrass," Harry complimented her. "I do like the muggle attire."

Daphne acknowledged him with a small nod. "Thank you, Mr. Potter. Please have a seat."

Harry sat down across from Daphne, who promptly pulled out a small cube from her handbag. She tapped it with her Wand, and Harry felt a small pulse of magic emanate from the stone.

"Don't be alarmed, it's simply an anti-eavesdropping rune stone," she explained. "I imagine that you're someone who values his privacy. Please, go ahead and order. The _coq au vin_ here is quite delectable."

Harry nodded gratefully as he picked up the menu.

"Knotgrass Mead," Harry said to the menu. With a virtually silent _pop_ , a large mug of mead appeared right in front of him. After a short pause, he ordered the coq au vin as well. If there was one thing he appreciated about Wizarding restaurants, it was the near instantaneous service.

"Well you have me here, Miss Greengrass," Harry said with a lopsided smile. "I'm all yours."

"So it would seem," Daphne responded. "I'm sure many witches would kill to be in my position right now. I suppose congratulations are in order, for both your championship and MVP award."

"Thank you," Harry said. "It's the third time actually I've won the championship since I started playing

"I am curious though. Why Quidditch?" Daphne asked.

Harry laughed softly. "Did you really invite me here to ask about Quidditch?"

"No, but humor me?" Daphne responded. "I'm a bit curious. After the war, you could've done literally anything. The Aurors and Unspeakables must have recruited you. You could have ran for one of the non-hereditary seats on the Wizengamot. Youngest Minister of Magic ever wouldn't have been out of your reach."

Harry twisted his face in disgust. "Yuck! You couldn't pay me enough money to deal with politics. And as for Quidditch… well, why not? I make a boatload of galleons, and I'm the envy of every Wizard."

"But you did deal with politics," Daphne pressed on. "Right at the end of the War at least. You pushed for reform, ruined the Malfoys and several other Pureblood families, and even tried to get Shacklebolt elected."

"Yup, and it was a tremendous waste of time," Harry replied. "I don't have to deal with that lot most of the time at least if I'm just playing Quidditch, at least. Most of my fans are common folk. Good old honest, hardworking, common folk."

"So you're a man of the people then?" Daphne asked.

"Of course," Harry replied, with a cheerful smile.

"Nice watch," Daphne commented, letting her eyes fall to the large timepiece on Harry's wrist. "What is it?"

Harry grinned. "You like it? I got it in the Muggle world actually. It's a Patek Philipe."

"And those cost, what, twenty thousand Muggle pounds at least?" Daphne asked, with a bemused expression on her face. "Real man of the people you are. Why on Earth would you need that when you can cast a simple _Tempus_ charm?"

Harry merely shrugged as he took another sip of his mead. "I spend a fair bit of time in the Muggle world. Can't be pulling a wand out at a lot of places I frequent."

"And the watch impresses Muggle women?" Daphne asked.

"Is this really what you're here to talk about?" Harry asked, deftly changing the subject. "My interest in Muggle women? I'm surprised you even know what a Patek is."

"You're not the only one who spends time in the Muggle world," Daphne admitted. "But you're right. It's not exactly what we're here to talk about, but I just wanted to know why you gave up so quickly. I understand your frustration, but change doesn't happen overnight. Hermione is still at the Ministry, doing her best to push her agendas."

Harry narrowed his eyes at Daphne at the mention of Hermione, his easy smile falling off his face. "I didn't need to spend any more time to figure out it was a lost cause," he scoffed, passion creeping into his voice. "After all we did and all we sacrificed, the Wizarding sheeple elected that inbred mouth-breather Fawley as Minister of Magic instead of Shacklebolt, and then it was back to business as usual with Pardons flying out of the Minister's office like candy when Pureblood gold came pouring in. Shacklebolt would've been a real force for reform."

Harry let out a huff before he continued speaking. "At the end of the day, people, all people not just Wizards, simply don't want change, no matter how much they actually need it. All magic ever did was make Wizards even lazier and more complacent than the rest of humanity. Wizards would rather bury their heads while the rest of their World burned to ashes. Dumbledore gave a hundred years of his life to better our society, and Wizarding England tried to ruin him just because he told the truth when nobody wanted to hear it. I didn't think I could change this society without becoming something more like Voldemort than Dumbledore. So fuck them all. I play Quidditch and make a ton of galleons, and I spend most of my free time in the Muggle world pretending you lot don't exist. Flying on a broomstick was the only time I ever felt truly free anyways."

The sudden change in Harry's demeanor shocked Daphne more than a little, but her face betrayed none of her inner thoughts as it remained absolutely blank, save for the slightest pursing of her lips. "When Voldemort took over the Ministry," Daphne said slowly, "a lot of decent people had to do things they didn't want to just to survive. I agree that Fawley is not exactly an inspiring leader, but our society would've completely collapsed if we imprisoned _everyone_ who assisted Voldemort or stuck around in the Ministry during his reign. The fines levied against the lessor offenders were instrumental in rebuilding our infrastructure. Fawley's done as well of a job as can be expected rebuilding our war-torn society. And you would do well to remember that I and many other Purebloods fought on _your_ side at that last battle at Hogwarts."

Harry sighed as he took a deep gulp from his mead. "I do remember, and I deeply appreciate it. I also deeply regret how many good people I led to their deaths at that dreadful battle. Quidditch is where I belong. And I don't think I should have that level of responsibility again."

Daphne's eyes softened as she stared at Harry. "It was a war. A lot of good people lost their lives, but nobody blames _you_ for that."

Harry waved his hand dismissively. "Enough about me. What about you, Miss Greengrass? Do you enjoy your work as an Unspeakable?"

"Wh-what?" Daphne sputtered out, unable to hide the shock on her face. Harry almost regretted not timing his conjecture until she had a mouthful of wine. "How did you know that I'm an Unspeakable?"

Harry grinned, pleased that he guessed correctly. "Last night, when you said you couldn't 'speak' about your business."

"That doesn't automatically mean I'm an Unspeakable!" Daphne protested.

"Well you did kind of admit it just now. It was mostly an educated guess," Harry said. "But there were other signs. You insist this isn't a date, but you asked that we order food and drinks first, which is a common tactic to try to get one to stay longer for a sales pitch. The privacy rune stone you have is used by Aurors, but I've spent time with Aurors and you definitely don't carry yourself like one. Unspeakables get access to all the Auror toys, and they recruit only the brightest. We weren't friends at Hogwarts, but I know you were near the top of our class. Also, you called Hermione by her given name instead of 'Granger' earlier. Since I assume she still works twenty-four seven, it's hard for me to imagine the two of you becoming acquaintances anywhere besides the Ministry, and I imagine you wouldn't have held back if you had a simple Ministry job."

"You're observant," Daphne commented approvingly. "I can't help but feel I've underestimated you in some regard. But I didn't graduate _near_ the top. I graduated at the top. Number one in our class."

Harry shrugged. "That's alright. I've been underestimated by almost everyone my whole life. But enough about me. And congratulations on the academic ranking. I suppose Hermione being held back a year due to the War nonsense…"

Daphne narrowed her eyes at Harry as her lips thinned. The temperature in the room felt like it had just dropped a hundred degrees. Harry had to resist the urge to shudder as he instantly realized the mistake he had just made. "Not to say... ergh… I mean…" he stammered out. "So, what is your area of study?"

"You should know already that we're not allowed to speak of what we study," Daphne replied

"Somehow I feel like you're going to make an exception for me."

Daphne nodded as she took another sip from her wine. "Alternate dimensions. What do you know about them?"

"A lot less than you I imagine," Harry replied. "Never conclusively proven one way or another. Some scholars have hypothesized that the way our magic violates the Muggle laws of physics is by pulling in or pushing out energy and matter across parallel dimensions. But it's all academic."

Daphne quirked an eyebrow up in surprise.

"Don't look so shocked there, Miss Greengrass," Harry said with a small smile. "I have cracked open a book once or twice in my life, even without Hermione bossing me to do so."

"You never struck me as particularly studious while we were at Hogwarts, but yes what you said is mostly true. Though not _conclusively_ proven, we do believe with almost complete certainty that there are alternate dimensions that parallel ours."

"As fascinating as this discussion is, Miss Greengrass, but I'm afraid I must decline. You're not the first Unspeakable, though you certainly are the prettiest, to try to recruit me, but the answer is still no."

"I'm not here to recruit you into the Unspeakables." Daphne sighed. Her wine glass was empty, and she seriously contemplated ordering another, despite it being the middle of the day. "We need your help."

"With what?"

Daphne took a deep breath. "To save the world."

Harry let out a loud laugh. "Are you serious?"

Daphne nodded fervently. "Deadly serious."

Harry laughed again and shook his head. "Try Ronald Weasley – he's actually an Auror. It's his job to deal with that stuff now. I'm just a Quidditch player."

"The whole world knows you're more than _just_ a Quidditch player, Potter," Daphne said urgently. "There are forces at work that are threatening our very existence."

"Look, I know people think I'm the second coming of Merlin or something, and yeah I'm a fairly strong Wizard, but the truth is that I'm nowhere near as powerful as Dumbledore or Voldemort were. I'm really not that special. I'm sorry Miss Greengrass, I can't help you. Leave it to the Aurors."

"We can't. I'm sorry, I don't want to drag you into this mess either, but it has to be you."

"Why? Don't tell me there's another prophecy or something like that."

Daphne hesitated.

"Oh bloody hell!" Harry exploded. "Are you serious? There's another prophecy?"

"No, there's not _another_ prophecy," Daphne said quickly, "but you are still the chosen one in a manner of speaking."

Harry shook his head again. "I did my part already," he said quietly. He sighed and looked off to the side, avoiding Daphne's eyes. "I fought and killed my dark lord. I don't have anything left to give. I'm sorry."

"Wait, before you go, will you go with me somewhere?" Daphne asked. "There's something I must show you first."

Harry stared silently at Daphne for a moment.

"Please," Daphne implored. "You'll want to see this."

Harry nodded slowly in acquiescence.

After dropping a few galleons on the table, the pair floo'd directly from their private room to the Atrium of the Ministry. The old statues that had adorned the center of the pool in the atrium which depicted the other races subservient to Wizarding kind had thankfully not made a reappearance after the War, but the new statues of Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore posing victoriously had disgusted Harry so much that he had not set foot into the building since the statues had been erected.

"It's a bit garish, isn't it?" Daphne asked, seeing the frown on Harry's face as he gazed at the statues.

"That's an understatement," Harry muttered. "Dumbledore wouldn't have liked it either."

The pair made their way straight to the elevators, skipping the Security checkpoint, and began their journey underground to the deepest levels of the Ministry.

"I've been down to the Department of Mysteries before, you know," Harry said.

Daphne smiled wryly in response. "I'm aware. Your break-in while still a student has become a bit of a legend around here. Rest assured though, that security is considerably improved these days. I also guarantee you that you've only seen a fraction of what goes on down here."

Harry chuckled sadly. "One of my poorest moments, I admit. I promise I'm not nearly that foolish these days."

"I'll let you in on a secret if you promise to keep it to yourself," Daphne said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Harry nodded, signaling for her to continue. "What's the lowest level in the Ministry of Magic?" she asked Harry.

Harry frowned, his mind flashing back to the farce of a trial he had to go through his fifth year at Hogwarts when the Ministry tried to get him expelled from Hogwarts. "Level ten, auxiliary courtrooms," he answered.

"The Department of Mysteries is on level 'nine', but geographically it's _below_ level ten," Daphne said. "The elevators are merely enchanted to simulate level ten as the lowest level."

"Why in Merlin's name would they do that?"

"You'll see," Daphne responded enigmatically.

The elevator doors opened, and the pair stepped out into an empty room with a single door. Daphne walked up to the door, and pressed her wand against it, causing the door to swing open. The duo then entered the large circular entrance chamber of the Department. A dozen doors dotted evenly across the circular walls. Harry glanced around, almost expecting the room to spin like it had when he broke in during his fifth year. Mercifully, the room stood still. Despite the passage of nearly a decade, Harry still felt a sharp twinge of regret and sadness as he took in the room. This was where his foolishness had cost his godfather his life.

A pair of Unspeakables wearing long cloaks with hoods that completely concealed their faces with a veil of darkness stood inside the circular chamber.

"Welcome back, Miss Greengrass and Mr. Potter," the taller of the two Unspeakables spoke to them. "Has he agreed?"

"Not yet Director," Daphne said. "I'm going to show him the _thing_."

Instead of leading Harry though one of the doors, the Director pulled out a small crystal from his robes and muttered a quiet incantation directly at it. The entire room rumbled, and to Harry' amazement, a portion of the floor started receding, forming a set of stone stairs that led downwards into a pitch black abyss.

" _Lumos_ " Daphne incanted, causing light to stream forth from her wand. "I suggest you do the same, Potter. It's a long way down." With that said, Daphne began descending down the stairs.

"What lies beneath the Department of Mysteries is our most closely guarded secret," Daphne informed Harry quietly as he quickly followed behind her. "Most of the Unspeakables don't even know of its existence. You wouldn't be wrong to say that the secrecy of what happens above is in part another ruse to keep what lies below safe and secret. And then there's the Oaths that the Unspeakables have to take before they're even allowed down here."

"And what does lie below?" Harry asked.

"You'll see," Daphne responded again.

The pair descended down the stairs, which zigzagged back and forth every few hundred steps. Besides the illumination from their wands, the path down was pitch black.

The two kept descending.

And kept descending.

"How deep does this go, exactly?" Harry asked.

"Very, very deep."

Harry rolled his eyes at Daphne's cryptic answers. "No wonder you're wearing flats today. Did you plan to bring me down here all along?"

"We suspected it would be necessary."

The pair kept descending for what felt like ages to Harry, and his feet started to throb. Sure he was in great shape from his workouts as a professional Quidditch player, but he was rarely on his _feet_ for so long.

"Merlin's balls, we are really far down," Harry muttered. "This isn't some plot to murder me and stash my body where no one would ever find it, is it?"

Daphne didn't bother to respond, which worried Harry just a tiny bit.

"I mean, I'm a professional athlete," Harry continued, "but isn't this tiring you out?"

Daphne let out a light huff. "Believe it or not, Potter, some Wizards and Witches besides Quidditch players do exercise regularly."

"I'm not surprised. You do appear quite _fit_ , Miss Greengrass."

Daphne rolled her eyes at the obvious double entendre. "Make no mistake, Potter, there will never be anything of that nature between us."

Harry felt it before he saw it, and made him stop abruptly. It was the slightest tingle of magic, brushing over his skin and making every strand of hair on his body stand on end. It was in the air, permeating every breath he took it.

"You can feel it already?" Daphne asked. "You're quite sensitive to magic, aren't you? I have to go a couple hundred more feet before I can sense it. Come along, we're not too far now."

Harry nodded in acknowledgment. His sensitivity to magic was something he picked up after the War. Turns out that having a parasitic piece of a Dark Lord's soul in his head that was constantly draining his magic and energy had a detrimental effect on his quality of life. His magic had been forced to overcompensate in a manner of speaking, and after the removal of the Horcrux, he found that his magic responded to him much more strongly than before. He also blamed the Horcrux for why he was such a surly git as a teenager, but Katie had insisted he was just simply another angsty teen.

Harry swallowed nervously and continued making his way down the seemingly endless stairs. The feeling of magic pressing against him intensified as he descended the stairs, which eventually petered out and ended at a small platform that overlooked an enormous cavern that stretched in all directions farther than his eyes could see. Floating a few dozen meters from the platform was a massive crystal emitting a faint bluish glow. Thousands of runes were inscribed all over the gigantic crystal, each glowing a darker blue that contrasted with the base crystal. By the time Harry reached the platform, the aura he felt was so oppressive that he felt like he could barely breathe.

"This is amazing…" Harry whispered quietly, completely awed by the majesty of what he was witnessing. "What is this?"

"This is the Keystone that binds the magic of our world together," Daphne answered quietly – almost reverently. "Nearly two millennia ago, Myrddin Emrys brought the Thirteen Great Wizarding Clans of Britain together and founded what would become the Wizengamot right above us where the Ministry of Magic is now. This is what he entrusted our kind with protecting. And it is dying."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 _Previously: "This is amazing…" Harry whispered quietly, completely awed by the majesty of what he was witnessing. "What is this?"_

 _"This is the Keystone that binds the magic of our world together," Daphne answered quietly – almost reverently. "Nearly two millennia ago, Myrddin Emrys brought the Thirteen Great Wizarding Clans of Britain together and founded what would become the Wizengamot right above us where the Ministry of Magic is now. This is what he entrusted our kind with protecting. And it is dying."_

* * *

 **.**

"Keystone?" Harry asked. "What does it do exactly?"

Daphne shrugged. "We don't know."

Harry stared flatly at her.

"Or more accurately stated," Daphne continued, "we're not exactly sure. There's so much mythology entwined with the history that it's rather hard to separate fact from legend these days. Some say it was created by the Gods and is the source of our magic. Others believe Myrddin created it and that it serves as a barrier to shield us from extradimensional outsiders.

"It wasn't until very recently, when the keystone started weakening, that we started piecing things together. Do you see those runes carved onto it? We've spent centuries studying the runes, but as far as we could tell, it simply shouldn't do _anything_. Yet it obviously exudes magic. Furthermore, time flows differently down here in this chamber. It speeds up, slows down, and even flows backwards at times."

"Backwards?" Harry asked.

"Yes, but we didn't see ourselves on the way down, so probably not right now. I told you earlier that my work was focused on alternate dimensions. When the keystone started weakening, our Diviners started seeing… glimpses of what we believe are these other dimensions. The runes don't appear to do anything because we're only seeing a partial and incomplete view! We believe that Myrddin crafted the Keystone not just in this reality, but across multiple realities, in a way that links them all together. The Keystone transcends both time and dimensions."

Harry's head was starting to hurt from both the rapid-fire lecture he was getting and the overbearing aura he felt from the Keystone, but he wasn't so dense that he couldn't tell that the object was important. "Alright, say I buy all that. I still don't see how I fit into any of this, or how I can help. I never even took Runes at Hogwarts. Most of what I know about the subject was self-taught when I was on the run from Voldemort."

"It might be easier to just show you. Ready to head back up?" Daphne asked. After seeing Harry nod, she opened up her handbag and pulled out two small objects. Tapping her wand to the objects, she whispered, " _Finite."_ The two objects rapidly expanded in size once the shrinking charm on them had been canceled, revealing them to be a pair of broomsticks.

"You had broomsticks the entire time!" Harry yelled out. "Why in Merlin's name did we have to walk all the way down?"

"For dramatic effect, of course," Daphne deadpanned.

Harry stared back. "Are you serious?"

"What? Come on, I know you were impressed by the whole spectacle. You don't get the full effect if you just fly down quickly."

Harry let out an exasperated huff before grabbing one of the broomsticks. Daphne mounted the other, and pair started drifting back up. They had just started ascending when they noticed a flickering light up ahead on the stairs. Daphne quickly swerved away from the stairs and motioned Harry to follow.

" _Nox,_ " Daphne whispered, extinguishing the soft light that was emanating from her wand. "Light's out Potter!"

Harry followed Daphne's lead and quickly extinguished his illumination charm. They each quickly cast a Disillusionment Charm as well, rendering them virtually invisible. Now floating in total darkness, the pair waited anxiously. Moments later, a pair of people walked down the stairs, illuminated by wand light.

"Merlin, that's us!" Harry whispered to Daphne.

"Looks like time _did_ flow backwards while we were in that chamber. Now hush!" Daphne whispered back.

"Why are we hiding? Let's go prank our other selves!" Harry suggested.

"Don't be daft. We didn't see ourselves on the way down, so we can't let them see us now. Let us see us now. You know what I mean."

"Yeah, yeah, I was just joking" Harry muttered under his breath. "This isn't the first time I've time travelled."

Once their previous selves were safely out of sight, the pair illuminated their wands again, and quickly ascended upwards. The broom was a fairly mundane Cleansweep and was nowhere near as fast as the racing brooms that Harry liked to use, but he appreciated that it was at least well maintained and responsive enough for everyday use.

Their return trip upwards was much faster than their descent, and soon they were back in the Entrance Chamber. The Chamber was empty by the time they entered, and Daphne led Harry towards one of the doors in the circular room, which opened up to a long hallway. Harry didn't recognize the room from any of his previous trips to the Department of Mysteries.

"When we first started noticing that the magic surrounding the Keystone was decaying," Daphne said while the two walked, "we were all in a bit of panic. So we set all the resources we had available to figuring out what had happened. This is where we found the most insight."

Eventually, they reached the end of the hallway where they were greeted by a pair of large stone doors with a multitude of runes etched upon it. Daphne pulled out her wand pressed the tip against one of the runes. Both her wand and the rune glowed briefly before the doors slowly swung open.

Harry glanced around the new room they entered. The floor and walls were all stone, and the room resembled more of a cavern or cave than the inside of a building. Torches adorned the walls, bathing the room in dim flickering light. A shallow pool of pale blue water sat in the center of the cavern, shimmering slightly from the flickering light of the torches. Seven Unspeakables were already in the room, each wearing the trademark cloaks that completely concealed their identities, and they were arrayed around the pool.

"There's a lot more to Divination than just prophecies. These are our Diviners," Daphne explained. "Almost any wizard or witch that shows genuine aptitude with Divination gets recruited by the Unspeakables. When all else fails, we turn to them and our scrying pool here for answers."

"Hmm, have you ever tried to recruit Luna Lovegood then? She's not secretly an Unspeakable also, is she?" Harry wondered out loud.

"Lovegood's not a seer, Potter. She's just a weirdo."

"Hey!" Harry protested. "I happen to be very fond of that weirdo."

"I know. She lasted significantly longer than most of your conquests."

Harry tsked at Daphne. "Women aren't objects to be conquered, Miss Greengrass. I treasured my time with Luna immensely, and we still happen to be great friends."

Daphne rolled her eyes, but continued speaking. "When the Keystone started weakening, our Diviners started seeing things that were…" Daphne paused as she struggled to find the right words. "Things that were impossible, that we know to be false. Eventually, we figured out what we were seeing images from a different reality altogether! There's no threat to the Keystone in _our_ world, but if it is linked together in several realities, then it's possible that destroying one of them would affect the others as well."

"That sounds like a design flaw," Harry said. "But I still don't see what I have to do with any of it."

"Just watch," Daphne said. "We're going to attempt a scrying here."

Each of the seven Unspeakables, moving in almost complete synchronization, unbuttoned their cloaks and dropped them to the floor, revealing that all seven were women of various ages all wearing swimsuits.

"Ooh, I like where this is going," Harry said.

Each of the women reached down to where they had dropped their robes, and each of them pulled out a thin dagger engraved with runes.

"Scratch that!" Harry yelled out in a higher pitched tone. "I _definitely_ don't like where this is going! What are they doing?"

"Hush!" Daphne said.

The Diviners stepped into the pool, letting the water rise up to around thigh level. They brought their daggers slowly up to their palms, and Harry winced as they each made a deep incision on their palms, drawing crimson red blood which began dripping into the water. As the droplets of blood hit the water, a layer of red mist began to form over the water, and slowly started drifting towards the center of the pool.

Daphne's eyes widened in shock. "What's happening?" She yelled out to the Diviners. The Diviners, though, all had a blank expression on their faces, showing absolutely no emotion at all, and were unresponsive.

"This isn't what's supposed to happen?" Harry asked nervously.

Daphne shook her head as she stared at the scene unfolding before her. "It's usually not quite like this."

The red mist started off as a thin layer, but began coalescing and rising at the center of the scrying pool to form a vaguely humanoid shape. As Daphne and Harry stared, the figure became clearer and clearer, eventually coalescing into a feminine visage roughly two meters tall. The figure looked like a human woman, but her proportions and features were just slightly off enough that Harry shivered from uneasiness just by looking at her. She had almond-shaped eyes that were a bit too large, a long and slender neck and limbs that were just a touch too exaggerated to be truly human. Her torso seemed impossibly thin to support her tall frame, and she was clad in a simple white robe.

"Ah, greetings little one," the figure spoke to them. Her voice was silky smooth and sent chills down Harry and Daphne's spines. "We finally meet, face to face… well, in a manner of speaking."

Daphne swallowed nervously. "Who are you?"

The woman tilted her head as she gazed at Harry and Daphne, and blinked slowly. "Your kind has given me many names over the years. Astarte, Titania, Mab… you may call me Lilith. I'm rather partial to that name at the moment."

"You mean…" Daphne hesitated. "Like the Queen of the Fae? One of the Old Gods? How are you appearing here?"

"You should know the answer to that, little one," Lilith said, with a dreamy expression on her face. Harry couldn't help but be reminded of Luna's mannerisms as he gazed at the strange woman in front of him. "When Myrddin's Keystone started weakening, I was able to start seeing into your worlds, and it was I that sent your soothsayers the visions of what will come. It's been many centuries since I was able to gaze upon your kind."

"So the legends are true then? The Old Gods used to walk this Earth?" Daphne leaned forward eagerly, her eyes lighting up. "And the Keystone, it's the barrier that protects our world from outsiders?"

Harry frowned. He didn't think now was the right time to be indulging in intellectual curiosities, and Daphne reminded him uncomfortably of Hermione at that moment.

Lilith laughed airily. "The Keystone does many things. Even I am not sure of all of its functions. The one you call Merlin or Myrddin was something really special. I doubt we'll ever see one quite like that again. He crafted the Keystone in one hundred and thirty-seven realities simultaneously, and thus creating the Great Veil that protects your reality."

"What do you mean you're the one that's been sending visions?" Harry asked.

Lilith nodded as she turned to focus on Harry. "Your so-called Unspeakables were curious, and in this matter, our interests are aligned. Your Keystone doesn't simply provide a shield for your world, it also acts as a barrier that separates several other planes of existence by denying the ability to travel through your world. I've grown rather fond of having sole uncontested dominion over my plane, so I simply assisted your Seers in finding the threat that you face, and your potential role in thwarting it."

"What threat? And why me?" Harry asked. "Why was it so important to get me here?"

"Harry Potter, the man-who-won, the prophesized vanquisher of the Dark Lord Voldemort," Lilith said. "All things considered, you did an admirable job in this world. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for all your counterparts. In one of these realities, your counterpart lost, and Voldemort will rise to power. He will crush any resistance and usher in a dark era for your civilization, and in time he will gain access to the Keystone, and drain its magic in an ill-guided attempt to strengthen his magic. When the Keystone collapses in that dimension, it will cascade through all the other Keystones and certainly spell the end of your civilization."

Harry sighed in frustration. "So what, you expect me to just hop into a different dimension and deal with _their_ problems? That still doesn't answer why _me_. Couldn't you find a different Harry, or better yet, someone else entirely to do it? I refuse to believe that I'm the only one capable of doing anything about it. I hate to break it to you, but this dimension's Voldemort could wipe the floor with me in a duel, let alone some super-Voldemort from another dimension after he's already risen to power."

Lilith chuckled softly. "You should feel flattered. Reading the future is never completely precise, but I believe that you are the one that is most likely to be able to succeed. And I won't be sending you directly to this other dimension, but rather sideways through time as well, to an era before Voldemort's rise to power. One fortnight from now, I will open a portal that will send you and one other into your younger selves, armed with your current skill and knowledge of what is to come. And yes, I'm aware of your Unspeakables' efforts towards dimensional travel, but their attempt would've resulted in your certain death."

Daphne looked up in alarm. "Wait, what? I've spent the past year of my life working on those arithmancy formulas!"

"Why can't you stop him yourself if you're so powerful?" Harry asked, ignoring Daphne's protest.

Lilith frowned as she gazed upon Harry and Daphne. "My power is still limited by the Veil. By the time I can fully step through the Veil, the damage to the Keystone will be irreparable. Even now, I'm not actually here. This is merely a projection."

"So it's all up to me then? Out of all the greatest Harry Potters, I'm the greatest of them all?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow. "I'm the… ' _Hairiest_ Harry', if you will?" Harry chuckled at his own joke, while Daphne groaned and brought a palm up to her face.

"Ah, word play," Lilith commented, her voice remaining almost preternaturally calm. "You humans quite enjoy them. We have no such thing in my realm of course. Usage of puns there is forbidden and punishable by death."

Harry swallowed nervously as Lilith's cold eyes bore down upon him. "Are you serious?"

"No, that was a joke," Lilith deadpanned. "We have humor too. I am glad everything is settled now. Come back here in a fortnight."

Harry and Daphne looked on in alarm as the figure of Lilith slowly dispersed back into mist.

"Wait, I haven't agreed to anything yet!" Harry cried out, but it was too late. The mist had completely receded, and the Diviners slumped down into the pool, as if they were marionettes who just had their strings cut.

Daphne rushed forward to check on the women, but other than being a bit groggy, they all seemed like they were unharmed. Harry could only feel numbness as people bustled all around him. He barely paid any attention as he was ushered out of the cavern with the scrying pool and into a different room. The new room he entered was clearly a meeting room of some sorts, with a large oak table in the center and comfortable chairs arranged around it.

Seeing that he was alone in the room for now, Harry plopped down into a chair and blanked out as he considered everything that had just happened. A part of him couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. The other, bigger, part was firmly searching for escape routes from the Ministry. He knew what was coming. The Ministry would want to conscript him into what would undoubtedly be a one-way suicide mission. Prophecy or no prophecy, Harry really did not want to get dragged into this latest mess.

Soon, the door opened, and a trio of people walked in. Daphne and Croaker entered first, and Harry jumped to his feet when he recognized the third person that entered.

"Kingsley!" Harry greeted the older man fondly.

Kingsley smiled back at him. "Good to see you again, Harry."

"I see you're already acquainted with our Head of Magical Law Enforcement, Kingsley Shacklebolt," Croaker said.

Harry smiled wryly. "We may have met once or twice before. They dragged you into this mess too, then?"

"Dealing with threats to the public safety is my job, and as far threats go, this is a pretty big one." Kingsley sighed. "I tried to keep you out of it Harry, but Director Croaker here puts a great deal of faith in his Diviners."

"Yes, well I never put much stock in Divination," Harry said. "I don't think I can help you with this one. I'm sure that the Aurors will prove most capable."

"But you heard what Lilith said!" Daphne interjected. "You're the best chance we've got!"

"Lilith?" Croaker asked.

Harry sat quietly while Daphne filled her superiors in on what they had just witnessed and their meeting with the strange outsider.

"Most extraordinary," Croaker said. "If what you heard was true, then we finally have confirmation on the true purpose of the Keystone. We have so little remaining texts from before Myrddin's era."

"But how can we trust anything that this so-called Lilith said?" Kingsley asked.

"It… matches our own research and what our Diviners have seen," Daphne said. "Regardless, we know for certain that the Keystone is weakening, and that the threat exists outside of our dimension. I don't think we can afford to ignore what we've learned."

Harry sighed as the other three broke out into a quiet argument. It seemed like his objection had gone completely ignored. He glanced down at his watch and frowned when he saw that it was already late afternoon. Now that it was the offseason, he had very little commitments besides a few charity events

"Well, look at the time!" Harry said. "It's been a fun visit, but I think should take my leave now. I have the utmost faith and confidence in our brave Aurors to handle this situation."

The other three occupants gaped at him in surprise. Harry felt a little bad for Kingsley, but this really should be his mess to deal with!

"You heard what Lilith said!" Daphne protested. "You're the one that has the best chance of stopping Voldemort, and there _is_ still the prophecy to keep in mind."

"She also said that your original plan for dimension hopping would have resulted in my certain death," Harry said, "so forgive me if I'm not feeling particularly trusting or cooperative right now."

"We'll certainly re-review our methodology before we even consider taking her up on her offer."

Harry took a deep breath. "I think… I need some air." Harry stood up abruptly and stomped out of the room. Of course, he was still in the Department of Mysteries and dozens of meters underground, so there wasn't really any 'fresh' air available. Still, pacing in the hallway was better than listening to the room full of people dictate what he was going to do with his life. He was pacing so furiously that he didn't even notice that Daphne had walked up to him until she was almost on top of him.

"I know it's a lot to take in," Daphne said.

"Honestly, I don't see how anyone can believe I'm up to this," Harry muttered. "I've been playing Quidditch for the last five years. You have to find someone else."

"I believe in you!" Daphne said. "Look, I'll deny I said this if you ever tell anyone, but that day you stormed the Great Hall of Hogwarts, leading the forces of the Resistance at your back… you inspired all of us. I'll never forget that image, nor how it felt when your magic radiated throughout the Hall as you stood before Voldemort. All of us there stood up and fought because we believed in you."

Harry chuckled bitterly. That fateful day was forever etched into his memory. After destroying the last of the Horcruxes besides the snake Nagini, he had regrouped with the remnants of the Order of the Phoenix and had led guerilla strikes against Voldemort's regime. Voldemort of course, had responded with a simple ultimatum after his Death Eaters failed repeatedly to catch him. He would start executing the students at Hogwarts until he turned himself in. So Harry obliged. He gathered his forces and stormed the castle, and even rallied the students to fight with him. He had trained with Dumbledore, Lupin, Sirius, Kingsley, and Moody for years, and had even believed arrogantly that he could beat Voldemort in a duel.

"No offense Miss Greengrass, but are you mental?" Harry said. "That day was the worst day of my life. Neville Longbottom, Fred Weasley, Sophie Roper, Lisa Turpin, Fay Dunbar, and twenty other students and kids _died_ that day because they followed me into that stupid battle, not to mention everyone else from the Resistance. Hestia Jones, Emmaline Vance, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks… I'll never forget their names."

"You defeated Voldemort on that day!" Daphne said fiercely. "The price was high, but so was what we won."

"I lost that duel rather spectacularly if you remember," Harry said, chuckling. "And it was only a stroke of luck that his A.K. didn't kill me. The only reason I won was because I landed a cheap shot on his back after everyone thought I was already dead."

"Well, you were quite impressive when you sprung back to life after taking a killing curse from Voldemort. Regardless, we _chose_ to fight that day. To stand up for what we believed in and follow you into battle. And ultimately, I believe you'll choose to help us now. When has Harry Potter ever turned away from helping people really in need?"

"Yes, well I think my life would be much simpler if I had learned how to do that properly."

"But the world would be worse off," Daphne replied. With that said, she turned around and walked back into the meeting room, leaving Harry alone with his thoughts again.

Harry paced the hallway several times as he lost himself in thought. Daphne may have been a pretty girl, but that didn't mean he was just going to blindly chase after her into danger. But deep down, he knew that Daphne had a point. If their world was really heading off of a cliff, could he really sit back and do nothing? Given the competence of the average wizard that he had witnessed, did he really trust someone else to handle it? He had no illusion that he was the second coming of Merlin or anything like that, but he _was_ significantly more powerful than most wizards he had met, even when he was just a teenager.

Plus, if he was really going to travel not just through dimensions, but also backwards through time… there were so many things he would do differently if he could. So many people that he could save. After pacing around for a few more minutes, the meeting room door opened again and Kingsley joined him.

"Doing alright, Harry?" Kingsley asked gently. "Haven't seen you in a while."

Harry winced. "Sorry about that. I've been uhhh… busy."

Kinsley waved his hand. "No need to apologize. I understand why you didn't want to stay around for the rebuilding of the Ministry. There have been many days where I wish I could just leave and not look back."

Harry smiled weakly back at him. "I am glad to see you again, Kingsley. It's been too long."

"Same here, Harry. You would've made a fine Auror, though I think you made the right decision with Quidditch," Kingsley said. "You deserve some peace and quiet. Look, you shouldn't feel like you have to do this. We have other qualified wizards. It shouldn't have to fall to you."

Harry sighed deeply. "But none of them have defeated Voldemort before. Thank you, Kingsley, for saying that. I really appreciate it, but I don't think there is a choice."

Deciding that he had paced enough, Harry re-entered the meeting room, followed closely by Kingsley.

"Have you come to a decision, Mr. Potter?" Croaker asked.

Harry scoffed. "I don't really have much of a choice, do I? But I'll do it. I'll help."

Croaker let out a sigh of relief, and to Harry's annoyance, the meeting continued with even more gusto. Details were hashed out. Plans were made. A timeline was established. After several more hours of discussion, the quartet decided it was nearly time to call it a day. Harry glanced over at Daphne, and couldn't resist trying to satisfy his curiosity.

"Definitely not complaining," Harry said, "but why is Miss Greengrass the one accompanying me on this mission?"

"I assure you, Miss Greengrass is most capab – " Croaker began before Daphne interrupted him.

"Please, if I may?" Daphne took a deep breath. "Potter, I graduated the top of our class at Hogwarts. I earned my Mastery in Runes three years after that with the Department, and my Mastery in Curse Breaking one year after that. Since then, I've dedicated every waking moment to preparing for the possibility of this mission. I've trained with Aurors, I've studied and researched everything there is to know about you, your companions in the War, Voldemort, and his Horcruxes."

"Er – what do you mean you've researched me?" Harry asked, completely bewildered.

"Exactly that, I've read all the noteworthy biographies, conducted intensive interviews with our classmates, teachers and others, and studied all the artifacts surrounding your resistance movement against Voldemort. Furthermore, I am currently the only Unspeakable who was in the same year as you at Hogwarts."

"Well that's more than a little unsettling, but you misunderstood my original question. I'm not doubting you're competent, Miss Greengrass. I'm wondering _why_ you would agree to go on this insane mission."

Daphne paused for a moment as she mulled over her choice of words carefully. "Shouldn't saving the world be enough?"

"If that's your only reason, then sure."

"I'm undoubtedly the most competent," Daphne said haughtily, "and I wouldn't trust anyone else with something of such grave importance. That's all I'll say at the moment."

Harry nodded, not entirely satisfied, but he was smart enough to realize he wouldn't get anything by pushing any further.

"Harry," Kingsley said, "if there's anything we can do for you before your journey, just let us know. I'll do everything in my power to see it done."

Harry paused as he mulled Kingsley's offer. He _had_ everything that money could buy already, and the remaining things he wanted, he doubted Croaker could provide. "Well, I'm supposed to go to a wedding next week, and I haven't got a date yet. My friend Ron is finally tying the knot with the lovely Miss Brown. Perhaps Miss Greengrass could accompany me."

"Absolutely not!" Daphne immediately responded.

"Miss Greengrass," Croaker chided, "the young gentleman is giving up everything. One evening of your time in platonic companionship surely isn't too great of a request."

"I'm giving up everything too!" Daphne whined.

"Yes, and we've already agreed to honor _your_ requests," Croaker said gently, as if he were dealing with a child.

Harry eyed Daphne curiously, but kept his mouth shut. He doubted she'd be forthcoming about what her requests were at the moment, considering the daggers that she was sending his way with her eyes.

"Why would you even want me to accompany you?" Daphne asked. "It's not like you'd have trouble finding a date. You could just walk down Diagon Alley and you'd have a score of women throwing themselves at you."

"Why would I want you to accompany me? Besides the fact that you're stunningly beautiful, intelligent, and interesting?" Harry asked rhetorically. "How about because you expect me to go on a suicide mission with you in a different dimension, and I know barely anything about you? If it helps, think of this as a team building exercise, Miss Greengrass."

Daphne crossed her arms over her chest and let out a huff of exasperation. "Fine! I'll go as your _platonic_ escort."

Harry grinned back at her, ignoring her annoyance. "Excellent. I'm sure we'll have a wonderful time."

* * *

 **.**

 **Author's Note: Wow, almost a hundred follows from the first chapter alone! First of all, thank you everyone for taking the time to read, review, follow, and fav already! I know people like to read fics that are either completed or have already progressed a bit, but it's you guys that really help give authors the motivation to keep writing at the start.**

 **I envision this fic being a type of "buddy team up" with Daphne and Harry. Why Daphne? She's effectively a blank slate since there's so little canon characteristics, yet at the same time there's a sense of familiarity from so much fanon. I also wanted a character to team up with Harry that he didn't already have familiarity with, so that their relationship can grow naturally with the readers.**

 **Lastly, I think I'll try to do some fic recommendations as I update each chapter, like several authors have chosen to do. First up are two that I'm sure almost everyone has already read before, but they served as inspiration for this story: "A Black Comedy" by Nonjon, and "Faery Heroes" by Silently Watches. Both are dimension travelling AU fics. One of the things I really appreciated about those stories (and canon HP) was the humor. Fanfiction should be fun, so even when things get serious, I plan on having some levity to balance things out.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 _Previously: "Why would you even want me to accompany you?" Daphne asked. "It's not like you'd have trouble finding a date. You could just walk down Diagon Alley and you'd have a score of women throwing themselves at you."_

 _"Why would I want you to accompany me? Besides the fact that you're stunningly beautiful, intelligent, and interesting?" Harry asked rhetorically. "How about because you expect me to go on a suicide mission with you in a different dimension, and I know barely anything about you? If it helps, think of this as a team building exercise, Miss Greengrass."_

 _Daphne crossed her arms over her chest and let out a huff of exasperation. "Fine! I'll go as your platonic escort."_

 _Harry grinned back at her, ignoring her annoyance. "Excellent. I'm sure we'll have a wonderful time."_

* * *

 **.**

Harry stared intently into the mirror as he adjusted the bowtie on his dress robes in his bedroom in Wimbourne. The past two weeks had been a whirlwind of activity for the young wizard, filled to the brim with extensive planning sessions with the Unspeakables and training with Daphne. The pair had begun to develop the basic level of rudimentary teamwork that the Aurors relied on. Years of living in uneventful comfort had softened him a little, but he hadn't forgotten the harsh lessons he learned during the war.

Part of him still thought the whole mess was simply some kind of elaborate prank. The alternative was almost too crazy to believe. His life would never be quiet and uneventful, but he did have a semblance of control over it once he became a star Quidditch player. The last few weeks had brought it all crashing down.

Ron's wedding would serve as a welcome distraction, though a small part of him was dreading seeing so many past acquaintances again. It wasn't as if he had become a recluse or anything like that, but he simply traveled in different circles these days. Many of his schoolmates from Hogwarts had gone to the work at the Ministry, and Harry had done his best to avoid that place in the last few years. And Ron… Harry had forgiven him for abandoning him during the Horcrux hunt, but the truth was that their friendship had never fully recovered. They had drifted apart once their careers had taken them on radically different paths, and they didn't see each other that often anymore. They were certainly still friends, just no longer best friends.

Harry went to his desk again and picked up the letter that he had spent the past week composing, giving it yet another read through.

 _Dear Katie,_

 _I'm off on a very mysterious and secret quest to save the world from some unspeakably horrid threat. I'm sure everything will be fine and I'll have wonderful stories to tell you when I get back, but if I end up kicking the cauldron, here's my will! I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye in person, but you know how much I hate them._

 _P.S. you're also the executor. Have fun with that._

 _I, Harry James Potter, of sound mind and magic, do declare this document to be my last will and testament, and I name Katherine Guinevere Bell (sorry couldn't resist using your full name) as my Executor._

 _To Katie Bell, the best friend a bloke can ask for when he really needed one, I leave you my flat in Winbourne, as well as one hundred thousand Galleons._

 _To Luna Lovegood, I leave you one hundred thousand Galleons, and anything that you can carry out of any of my properties before someone stops you. I also ask that you employ my good friend Dobby should he require it, and pay him a fair and suitable wage._

 _To Hermione Granger, who I am sure is responsible for the fact that I'm still alive today, I leave you my entire collection of books, parchments, and scrolls, my flat in London, as well one hundred thousand galleons._

 _To Ron Weasley, my oldest friend, I leave you one hundred thousand Galleons, and my broom collection, except for my Firebolt mk III._

 _To Molly and Arthur Weasley, for being parents to me when I had no one, I leave you each one hundred thousand Galleons, as well as my Muggle automobile collection._

 _To George Weasley, I leave you all my shares in Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, as well as one hundred thousand Galleons._

 _To Bill and Fleur Weasley, I leave you my Chateau in La Ciotat, as well as one hundred thousand Galleons._

 _To Ginny Weasley, I leave you one hundred thousand Galleons, and my Firebolt mk II racing broom._

 _To Andromeda Tonks, I leave you one hundred thousand Galleons, and my residence at 12 Grimmauld Place. The Black home should've rightfully been yours in the first place._

 _To the Lily Potter Memorial Foundation, I bequeath an annuity totaling one million Galleons, to be paid over the course of the next ten years._

 _Lastly, to my Godson Teddy Lupin, I leave you my invisibility cloak and the Marauder's Map with the provision that you must carry out at least one prank per term while at Hogwarts, as well as the entire remainder of my estate._

Satisfied that he thought of everyone, Harry sealed the letter in an envelope and left it on his desk. Katie would probably stumble upon it after he'd gone missing for a while. As if on cue, a loud banging on his bedroom door made him jump in shock.

"Harry!" Katie yelled through the door. "Get out here. Your date is here."

Harry frowned at the unexpected development. He had fully intended to pick Daphne up from the Greengrass manor. After sealing the letter and will in an envelope addressed to Katie, he quickly made his way out to the living room, where he saw Daphne and Katie chatting amicably on the large sofa. Daphne's appearance, like the other times Harry had seen her, was immaculate. Her silky straight hair was pulled up in a bun, letting her show off her sparkling diamond necklace and earrings. She was dressed in opulent velvet dress robes, and simply exuded an air of elegance and refinement. Katie similarly was dressed in her finest dress robes, though her date to Ron's wedding had yet to arrive.

"Miss Greengrass, you look stunningly beautiful, as always," Harry said.

Daphne nodded slightly. "Thank you, Mr. Potter. You look sufficiently adequate as well."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Harry said, smiling widely. "I was under the impression that I would be the one picking you up."

Daphne merely shrugged as she looked around his flat. "I was curious to see how the Great Harry Potter lives."

"Oh? And what do you think?"

Daphne was silent for a moment as she looked around. The flat was outfitted completely with muggle furnishings and decorations. A large flatscreen television sat at one end of the living room, and artful black and white photography dotted the walls. A number of DVD cases were strewn about carelessly on the coffee table.

"It's certainly not what I expected," Daphne said. "Don't these photographs that never move eventually get dull? What do you think Miss Bell? You grew up in a pureblood family."

"It was a bit weird at first," Katie admitted, "but it's not like my folks were wealthy or high society like yours were, so we never really had an aversion with the Muggle world. To be honest, I don't think I could go back to living in a purely magical household. Some of the Muggle programs and movies these days are brilliant. And they have this thing called the internet. It's pretty much the greatest thing since Quidditch."

"Oh?" Daphne asked, raising an eyebrow. "And what do you do with it?"

"Er – mostly just watch videos of puppies and kittens," Katie said sheepishly.

Daphne merely raised an eyebrow at her, and Katie blushed a furious red under the scrutiny. A knocking on the front door saved Katie from any more embarrassment, and she leapt to her feet to answer it. Her date, a young Chaser on the Caerphilly Catapults, had arrived. Katie and her date squeaked out a quick goodbye as they left for the wedding first, leaving Harry and Daphne alone for the moment.

"We leave in two days time," Daphne said quietly. "Tonight's a good opportunity to say your goodbyes."

"Yes, I know," Harry said. "Have you finished your preparations?"

Daphne nodded. "Yes, I've made peace with what's to come, and I've set my affairs in order."

"Sheesh, don't talk like this is really a suicide mission," Harry said. "There's always the chance of a return trip."

"I know, but let's not worry about that until after everything is over," Daphne said. "Shall we head out, Potter?"

"Please, call me Harry," he said, smiling widely. "We are going to be working closely together after all."

Daphne responded with a small nod of her head. "Very well. You may call me Daphne as well then."

Harry smiled cheerfully as he extended his arm out to his date. "Shall we?"

The ceremony was being held at the Burrow, and Harry felt his stomach churn when he laid eyes on the rebuilt house. The old Burrow had been destroyed during the last War, and had been rebuilt as a stately two story Tudor style home. The new abode looked spacious and dignified, but Harry couldn't help but prefer the old Burrow, which looked like five small cottages stacked on top of each other in defiance of gravity and common sense. Sure it was small, cramped, and constantly teetering on the edge of collapse, but Harry had found it all quite charming.

The grounds, however, remained much the same, and reminded Harry greatly of the last wedding he attended there when Bill and Fleur were married. A large tent had been set up for the reception, and brightly colored flowers were tied up on strings that hung from the main house to the tent. Animated fairy lights floated and danced just above their heads, providing light for the wedding once the sun set. The actual ceremony itself would take place under the open sky, with rows of chairs arranged on the Burrow's large lawn for the guests. At the front of the chairs was a temporarily erected stage where Ron and Lavender would be wed.

Harry and Daphne, after giving their greetings to the elder Weasleys, chose seats towards the rear as they waited for the reception to start. They arrived a bit later than most of the guests, many of whom were already seated. That suited the pair fine, since neither were keen for the attention that Harry's celebrity status would undoubtedly bring. Harry spotted several familiar faces in the crowd from his position at the rear, but decided not to seek them out until the reception.

Soon, the ceremony started, and the procession began. A hush fell over the crowd as all the heads swiveled towards the aisle, where Mr. and Mrs. Weasley strolled up first. Mrs. Weasley's eyes were already blotchy from tears, but she was smiling so widely that Harry couldn't help but feel his spirit lift as well.

The rest of the Weasley boys followed next, led by Ron, with the rest of his brothers serving as groomsmen. Harry chuckled when he saw Ron tug at the neck of his dress robes. Evidently, the youngest Weasley son still couldn't handle dress robes without discomfort.

A gasp shot through the crowd as Lavender Brown appeared next with her father. The bride-to-be looked radiant in her long-sleeved white wedding dress with a high collar. Harry grimaced as he realized that she must have chosen such a modest and unrevealing dress to hide the scars that she had sustained at the Battle of Hogwarts.

Lavender slowly made her way up to the front, and the ceremony began with the two soon-to-be-weds staring dopily at each other.

"Do you, Ronald Bilius Weasley, take Lavender Isabelle… ?"

Harry wasn't surprised that Ron was the first out of the original 'Golden Trio' to be wed. Most purebloods that he knew tended to marry young, and Harry had already attended the weddings of most of his pureblood year-mates already.

"… then I declare you bonded for life!"

The gathered crowd exploded into cheers as Ron laid a gentle kiss on Lavender. When they pulled apart, it was obvious that the eyes of newlyweds were both glistening.

The wedding party moved swiftly into the tent after the ceremony, where dinner and mingling followed. Harry was immediately recognized by everyone around him, of course. After exchanging many greetings, handshakes, several drinks at the bar, a bone crushing hug from Mrs. Weasley that left his ribs bruised, and more than a few inappropriate gropes from some of his more zealous fans, Harry and Daphne finally made their way over to the man of the hour.

"Harry! I'm so glad you could make it, mate," Ron said, pulling Harry into a tight embrace.

"Are you mental? I wouldn't miss this for the _end of the world_ ," Harry replied, earning him a glare from Daphne. Harry simply grinned back at her.

"Yes, well you never come around to the Burrow anymore," Ron said. "Mum really misses you, you know?"

Harry winced as he felt a stab of guilt. Molly Weasley had been like a mother to him ever since his first year at Hogwarts, but with his disastrous breakup with Ginny and his drifting apart from Ron, the Burrow was simply too awkward of a place for him to visit these days. "I'll make sure to apologize to her later. Allow me to re-introduce you to Miss Daphne Greengrass."

"Congratulations, Mr. Weasley," Daphne said primly.

Ron grinned back at her. "Thank you for coming, Miss Greengrass. You were in our year at Hogwarts, right?"

Daphne nodded in acknowledgment.

"Well, let's hope you can keep this one out of trouble tonight then," Ron said, laughing boisterously and punching Harry gently on the arm.

"I shall try my best," Daphne responded. "If you'll excuse me, I'll let the two of you get reacquainted."

Ron waited for Daphne to leave earshot before turning back to Harry. "Greengrass, eh? Didn't see that one coming. I definitely rubbed more than one out thinking of her back at Hogwarts."

"Merlin's balls, Ron!" Harry sputtered out. "I don't want to know that. Way too much information."

"What? It's not my fault your balls didn't drop until our fifth year," Ron said.

"I would've thought you would be more discerning about 'Slimy Snakes'," Harry said.

"Oh I wouldn't have wanted to befriend them back then, but I won't deny that she's quite the looker," Ron said, grinning at Harry. "It's funny to think how much we used to care about the Houses. None of it really matters in the real world now. But Daphne Greengrass! Well done there."

Harry sighed dramatically. "Unfortunately, she is accompanying me only as a friend tonight. But enough about this. I'm going to have nightmares tonight if you talk about your masturbatory habits anymore. You're a married man now!"

Ron grinned widely as his gaze wandered over to his new bride. Lavender was chatting happily with some of her old classmates from Hogwarts just a few meters away. "I know. I feel like the luckiest bloke in the world."

"She's lucky to have you too. You're both lucky to have found each other." Harry paused as he remembered Ron and Lavender's ill-fated romance during their sixth year at Hogwarts. Both newlyweds were drastically changed after surviving the War, with both baring scars that were both physical and psychological. "Well, found each other _again_."

Ron chuckled sheepishly as he shared Harry's reminiscence. "You thought about settling down yet, mate? I know we're still young, but you're not exactly a kid anymore."

"Rubbish!" Harry protested. "Who are you and what have you done with my friend."

Ron laughed. "He had to grow up pretty quick once he got to the real world." Ron leaned in and whispered quietly, "besides, Lavender needs me to be strong. Our world hasn't been kind to her."

"If there's anything you need," Harry began speaking, but Ron interrupted him with a quick shake of his head.

"No no, I'm actually doing fairly well for myself in the Aurors. Enough for both Lav and me anyways…" Ron cleared his throat as he lowered his voice. "Hermione is here."

"Seems cruel of you to have invited her to your wedding," Harry murmured back.

Ron rolled his eyes and waved his hand dismissively. "She never cared half as much about me as she did for you. You're the only bloody idiot who doesn't see that. We actually get along these days. She's a barrister at the DMLE you know."

"I'm aware."

"You should go talk to her."

Harry shook his head. "Ron, don't."

"Come on, if the two of us can still be friends, then there's no reason why the two of you can't patch things up."

Harry sighed and nodded absentmindedly, and the two friends caught up on their current lives. If Ron had any jealousy over Harry's success as a Quidditch player, it certainly wasn't visible. In fact, Harry had never seen the man happier, even when they had won the Hogwarts Quidditch Cup together.

A small crowd of people who wished to congratulate Ron had formed nearby, and Harry soon used that as an excuse to make his way back to Daphne. He paused when he found her, and took a moment just to take in the sight. Daphne was conversing with one of their old classmates, Padma Patil, and was laughing softly over a shared joke. Even in such a mundane setting, Harry could tell that Daphne easily stood out from the crowd. Her appearance was immaculate, her posture elegant, and her every movement was crisp and graceful.

The band was now playing a slower song, a waltz, and a majority of the guests were making use of the dance floor. Harry took the opportunity to lead Daphne out to the dance floor. Dancing was not one of the skills that had come naturally to him, but he ended up getting dragged to so many formal events after the end of the War that he had no choice but to learn quickly. He wasn't the most graceful dancer on the floor, but he was no longer a spasming menace. He had even run into Parvati Patil at one of the Ministry balls, his Yule Ball date back in fourth year, and danced properly with her to make up for his horrid behavior back at the Yule Ball.

"Weasley is a brave man," Daphne said quietly as the two danced together.

"Yes, he is."

"It's a shame this marriage will hurt him politically."

Harry's head snapped up as he stared hard at Daphne. "Think carefully what your next words are going to be," Harry warned in a low tone.

Daphne sighed. "Don't be a prat, Potter. I don't have anything against Brown. I'm simply pointing out the political reality. Werewolves aren't anymore loved today than they were since before the War. Weasley was a rising star in the Ministry, maybe even on track to become Head Auror in a decade's time if he simply played the game. This marriage complicates that."

"Lavender was turned by Greyback fighting against Voldemort's forces in the Battle of Hogwarts!" Harry protested. "As far as I'm concerned, she's a bloody hero. Nobody should hold it against her, and certainly nobody should hold that against Ron."

"I don't disagree with that, Harry," Daphne said gently. "I respect her for what she's done, and she deserves Ron and a happily ever after as much as anyone else does. But Aurors don't write policy. Head Auror is typically a springboard to be the next Director of Magical Law Enforcement, where he could be _dictating_ policy and doing a hell of a lot more to help Brown and others like her."

"Ron loves her," Harry said stubbornly. "That's enough. Everything else is bollocks. He wouldn't be someone I would call a friend if he valued 'the game' more than her."

"And that is why nothing changes," Daphne muttered with a shake of her head. "You either play the game until you're in a position to make changes, or you overthrow the status quo like Voldemort did. I wonder how many would've followed you if you had simply overthrown the Ministry and named yourself the Leader of Magical England after the War."

"We'll never know. I'm not cut out for that shit. It's why I play Quidditch instead of politics."

"Oh come now, there has to be at least one alternate reality out there where you're the Supreme Dark Overlord of England," Daphne said with a small grin.

"We're probably married in that one," Harry said, laughing. "You can be my Dark Lady."

"Don't flatter yourself, Potter!"

The slow waltz ended, and a livelier song began playing to the delight of many of the younger guests, who started cheering and whooping. Harry was about to suggest that they stop for some more alcoholic beverages when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"May I cut in?" A petite blonde woman with pale grey eyes interrupted the two. She was wearing bright yellow dress robes with too many frills for good taste, and an odd pair of Dirigible plum-shaped earrings. She had a serene expression on her face, but her eyes danced with mirth.

"Of course, Miss Lovegood," Daphne said.

"Hello Daphne," Luna Lovegood greeted her in her usual airy voice. "Are you enjoying Harry's penis?"

Harry made a choking noise as Daphne glared at the petite blonde.

"I assure you, Miss Lovegood," Daphne said, "nothing of that nature is occurring."

"Oh, that's a shame," Luna said with the same cavalier tone. "I was just telling that witch over there from Teen Witch Weekly how much you are enjoying Harry's penis these days."

Harry felt Daphne stiffen a little at his side, but her face remained remarkably calm. "If you'll excuse me," she said, "I have to go freshen up a bit."

"What was that all about?" Harry said, releasing his pent-up laughter after Daphne stomped away.

Luna smirked at Harry as she pulled him in to dance with her. "Just having some fun. Greengrass was a bitch to me at Hogwarts."

"Yikes, well I'm glad I'm not on your bad side," Harry said, chuckling. Luna was an odd dancer, and was seemingly leading him around the dance floor in random directions that changed on a whim. Harry struggled to keep up with her, and was constantly apologizing to the other guests that they kept bumping into.

Luna shrugged. "You were one of the few that was actually nice to me at school, and I don't blame you for how our relationship ended. Though I suppose it is immature of me to hold a grudge from our school days. After all, it looks like you've forgiven Greengrass for wearing a 'Potter Stinks' badge during the Triwizard Tournament."

Harry frowned at that revelation. "Did she really? I honestly don't remember. She was never part of Malfoy's little posse. Lots of students wore one back then though, including some of the guests here tonight."

Luna sighed. "I suppose I shouldn't hold it against Greengrass either. So many were mean to me back then. And Hogwarts _was_ a long time ago."

"How was your trip to South America?" Harry asked, moving the conversation towards a more pleasant direction.

"Marvelous," Luna replied wistfully. "Daddy and I discovered a most extraordinary new magical avian species. These birds fly not through the air, but underwater! What a remarkable inversion of the natural order."

"Err – did these birds happen to have black feathers and white bellies?" Harry asked.

Luna nodded, her stomach sinking as she foresaw what was about to happen.

"I think those were penguins, Luna," Harry said. "They're a completely non-magical type of bird that live exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. Muggles have known about them for ages."

"Drat." Luna sighed forlornly. "I'd appreciate it if you did not tell Daddy about it. He was so excited about discovering a new magical species too."

"Of course, Luna. Are you here alone, or did you come here with someone?"

"No, I came here alone tonight," Luna said. "Which reminds me, if Greengrass isn't putting out for you, I could really use a _de-stressing_ tonight after all that travel."

Harry grinned back at the petite blonde. "Hmm, let yourself into my Whitstable manor tonight. You're still keyed into the wards."

Luna beamed at Harry. "Wonderful. Moving on, have you talked to Hermione yet?"

Harry groaned. "Not you too, Luna."

"You'll thank me for this one day," Luna said. "Well, maybe."

With that said, Luna shoved Harry with a substantial amount of force, and he stumbled backwards a few steps and bumped right into the person he least wanted to see at the moment.

"Er – hello, Hermione," Harry said to the witch that he almost knocked over. "Want to dance?"

Hermione smiled weakly back at Harry as she nodded her head. "Hi Harry. It's been a while."

The slightly older witch was wearing sky blue dress robes, and her bushy hair hung freely behind her. She wore a light application of makeup on her face – just enough to accentuate her beauty, and not enough to look like she put too much effort into it. Harry noted that she didn't bother with the hair-taming potions and products that she used to favor for formal events.

"You look nice," Harry said awkwardly.

"You too, Harry," Hermione replied, brushing the shoulders of his extravagant dress robes gently. "You clean up nice these days."

"I think I rather prefer your hair this way," Harry said with a small grin. "It has so much character."

Hermione grinned and swatted him on the arm. "Don't be a prat. I know it looks dreadful. I just don't bother with that Sleakeazy stuff these days."

"My grandad invented that stuff, you know?" Harry said, chuckling. "The Potter fortune was built on Sleakeazy."

Hermione gasped in astonishment. "Really? How did you find that out?"

"Looked up my family tree after the War and did some research. They keep all that stuff in the ministry. I come from a long line of blood-traitors, apparently."

Hermione chuckled quietly. "Well, maybe I'll start using it again in honor of Grandad Potter."

"Praise be to bushy-haired witches everywhere," Harry said as the two shared a chuckle. "But I was serious when I said I prefer your hair like this."

The pair danced silently for a minute, and Harry struggled internally as he tried to figure out what he should say. Sharing light jokes and inconsequential banter was easy, but Daphne had reminded him rather uncomfortably that a return trip was not a guarantee, and a part of him _did_ want to settle things with Hermione before he left.

"Do you ever wish you could go back in time and do things differently?" Harry asked.

Hermione looked up into Harry's eyes and stared hard at him for a moment. "Of course I do. All the time. You know that."

"Ever think about stealing a time-turner?"

Hermione laughed softly. "Time-turners only allow up to a couple of hours of time travel."

"Still, we should have nicked one when we had the chance," Harry said. "What other magic or rituals can we use for some extreme time travel?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Time travel like what you speak of is the single most forbidden activity, and for good reason too. Are you sure you should be discussing your criminal intentions with a Barrister from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?"

"You wouldn't turn me in, would you?" Harry asked. "I'm prepared to offer significant bribes, if that's what it takes."

Hermione rolled her eyes and gently swatted him on the arm. "Don't joke about that! I would never accept a bribe. You do know that I work in the anti-corruption unit, don't you?"

"But that's what it makes it perfect!" Harry replied cheerfully. "You're not going to rat on yourself, are you? _Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?_ "

Hermione frowned at the unexpected Latin. "Who guards the guardsmen themselves?" she translated.

"I prefer the translation, 'who watches the Watchmen,' but close enough."

"In my case, Director Shacklebolt and Head Barrister Burke," Hermione responded.

"Pity. I would've gotten away with it all if wasn't for all that meddling bureaucracy!"

The two shared a quiet chuckle as they continued dancing.

"For what it's worth, I am sorry about everything," Hermione said with a sad smile.

"Me too, Hermione. I'm sorry about a lot of things as well."

"Do you think…?" Hermione looked away bashfully as she chewed on her lower lip. "Do you think we could grab lunch sometime? Do some catching up?"

"I'm leaving on a trip soon, but we'll make time after I get back," Harry promised.

Hermione smiled back at him. "I'd like that."

* * *

 **.**

The day had come, and Harry reluctantly made his way to the Ministry of Magic again. An Unspeakable escort greeted him at the visitor's entrance, and he once again skipped the regular security checkpoint. Apparently, having contacts with the Department of Mysteries was quite convenient – at least when it came to avoiding minor inconveniences.

Harry felt a little guilty about not saying proper goodbyes to his friends. The only person that he really told about his little trip was Dobby, who was adamant that Harry would successfully make the return trip as well. Harry figured in this case, it was better to ask for forgiveness than permission. And if he never made it back, well, that's one less thing he'd have to worry about anyways.

After a quiet elevator ride, Harry stepped out onto level nine – the Department of Mysteries. Daphne and Croaker were there to greet him. Daphne had elected not to wear her Unspeakable robes and was dressed in simple navy blue dress robes and flats.

Harry followed the two Unspeakables through one of the doors in the circular entrance lobby, and Harry found himself in a place that he _really_ didn't want to be at.

"Um, Daphne, what are we doing here?" Harry asked nervously.

They had led him into a chamber that he had all too much experience with – the Chamber of Death. The Veil sat in the center of the dim room

"The Veil changed significantly this morning, due to Lilith's work," Daphne answered. "She says it will send the two of us to where we need to go."

"Are you out of your mind?" Harry asked in disbelief. "I'm not going through that."

"Those runes," Daphne said, pointing to the runes that were pulsating with a soft glow that were inscribed upon the arch, "the color of the portal, _and_ the magical signature has all changed significantly since this morning. I'm confident we can trust Lilith on this."

"You're 'confident,' are you?" Harry asked. "You expect that to be good enough for me to just walk through that thing?"

"The Veil and the others like it scattered around the world were originally supposed to be doorways between worlds. We now believe it's due to the Keystone's barrier that it earned its current reputation for… fatalities."

"I don't care about the history of it!" Harry yelled. "I'm not going through that. I was on the fence with this whole mess to begin with, and nothing you say is going to convince me to _willingly_ walk through that."

Daphne pursed her lips as she frowned at Harry. "Where's the legendary Gryffindor courage?"

"I don't think courage has to be synonymous with stupidity," Harry replied. "Why do you have so much faith in this anyways?"

"She's Lilith!" Daphne insisted. "I know that doesn't mean much to you, but most of the pureblood families have always believed or worshipped the Old Gods. Meeting her was like… validation."

"Yes, well Merlin decided to shut the whole lot of them out of our world. Maybe that should mean something?"

Daphne sighed as she rubbed her nose with her right hand. "Harry, I apologize in advance for this."

Harry barely had time to register Daphne's words when he felt Daphne's silent Banishing Charm send him flying straight towards the veil. If he had been in a better state of mind, or warier like he was during the height of the War, he might have been able deflect the spell or stop his flight. As he was, though, he wasted precious microseconds marveling at the speed of Daphne's wand draw instead, and he sailed through the Veil all the while hearing the ghostly voice of Alastor Moody screaming " _Constaaant Vigilaaaaance"_ at him. Then, his world dissolved into pain.

* * *

 **.**

Harry groaned as consciousness slowly returned to him. Every muscle in his body ached, and he felt as if all the Beaters of Britain's Quidditch teams had collectively decided to use as a Bludger target. Or as a bludger. Other than the pain, his body felt small and weak. He blinked his eyes rapidly as they slowly acclimated to the brightly lit room he was in. Sitting up a bit, he pushed the strands of long red hair away from his eyes. _Wait what?_ Harry pushed himself up rapidly, and patted his head.

"Why do I have long red hair?" he muttered.

He looked down at his body. "Why am I wearing a frilly nightgown?"

He tentatively lifted the hem of the gown and reached down between his legs and felt around a bit. The blood drained from his face as his eyes widened in horror. "AND WHERE THE BLOODY HELL DID LITTLE HARRY GO?"

* * *

 **.**

 **Author's Note: The wedding scene was pretty fun to write. Hope you all enjoyed it. Interesting note, the bit about Harry's granddad (Fleamont Potter) inventing Sleekeazy is actually canon on Pottermore. My mind was blown when I found out that Charlus and Dorea Potter are NOT James's parents, and was just widely used fanon.**

 **I know the "twist" at the end may be off-putting for some, but think of the potential for humor! I don't write crack, but I think there is a lot of comedy with this setup. It's also meant to show that the AU they land in is significantly different from their own, so don't expect a rehash of the canon stations.**

 **This week's recommended story: "Ice Princess" by Luan Mao. A short (15k words) Daphne/Harry story that inverts a lot of the fanon tropes, and manages to be both funny and sweet at the same time. Highly recommended if you like the pairing.**


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